Transit level



Aug. 4, 1931. y w. BRUNSTETTER ET AL TRANSIT LEVEL Filed March 16, 1929 Uil i g L @MFV NN www.

Patented` Aug. 4, 1931 sra y rice v'rminsrr LEVEL Application led March 16, 1929. Serial No. 347,493.

rlhe main object of this invention is to provide a leveling beam provided with bubbles which are factory-adjusted, and the beam has means thereon for guarding and protecting the bubbles when the same arek not in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a transit level having bubbles which have means for minute adjustment. l

Still another obj ect of this invention is to provide a transit level, in which a lens system is incorporated, for sighting a target at any desired distance in order to pre-determine a horizontal height parallel to the leveling means at a pre-determined distance.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting the entire transit level to a plumbing` position upon an angular base. y

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in the drawings.

Referring briefly to the drawings, Figure 2.5 1 is a longitudinal partly-sectioned elevational view of the transit level, showing poi'- tions thereof in sections to illustrate the locations of the various members of the transit level. j

Figure 2 is a full size longitudinal sectional elevational view of the mechanism in the lens system for adjusting the cross Wires of the transit level.

Figure 3 is an end elevational View of Fig- I ure 2.

Figure 4 is a full size view of the horizontal bubble, showing the method of mounting the same.

AFigure 5 is a front elevational View of a modified means of adjusting the vertical bubbles as used in an `all-metallic structure.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a level beam rectangular in cross section. Near one end of this beam 10 a pair of adjacently facing bubbles 11 and 12 are mounted. These bubbles 11 and 12 are visible in an aperture 13 and are mounted in bores in` which lspaced-apart rings 14a are anchored. he space between the rings 14a, which are anchored in the bore receiving the bubbles 11 and 12, receives a rotatable sleeve llretained in any desired rotative position by means which will be further hereinafter described. One end of the bore in which the bubbles 11 and 12 are received, is filled with gypsum or other material and is capped by a plate 16 so that it is permanently sealed and adjusted at th place of manufacture.

Midway the length of the beam 10alongitudinal recess is formed in which rests a bed plate 17. rlhis bed plate 1 7 partly housesv a barrel 18 whose ends are joined to supports 19 and rlhe barrel 18 is'provided withV longitudinal opening to mal-Iel the bubble 22 visible, aud has revolvable thereon a guard sleeve 21, which is also provided with an opening, and is lnuried throughout its surface. The support 20 has a projecting curved surface 23 on its face, which surface 23 seats upon the bed plate 17; To permit adjustment of the bubble unit illustrated in Figure a, a hole in the Asupport 2O is provided in which is received a threaded cap screwY 24 which passes through the tapering opening in the support 20 and threads into an opening in thebed plate 17. The opposite support 19 is provided with a pair of set screws 25 and 26 for locking the adjusted position of the level unit illustrate-:l inv F igure Il. The set screw 25 threads into an opening in the support 19 and itslower end rests upon the bed plate 1 7, while the re-` maining cap screw 26 passes through a clearance opening in the support 19 and is engaged in the threaded opening formed in the bed plate 17. A clearance hole is formed in the bed plate 17 beneath the sleeve 21. This clearance hole receives a resilient coil spring 27 therein upon which rests friction ball 28 wliosesurface is at all times in Contact with the lznurled periphery of the guard sleeve 21 and frictionally retains this guard sleeve 21 in any desired and adjusted position. The recess in which the bed plate 17 rests vis covered by a cap plate 29 through which the bubble u nitv 22 illustrated in Figure l partly projects.

A bore enters into the beamV 10 from the -surface upon which the level unit illustrated sof in Figure 4 is mounted. This bore receives an eye glass 80, or an eye piece lens, when desired. The eye glass 30 is retained in position by a plate 81. The light rays passing through the eye glass 30 impinge upon the reflecting surface of a prism 32 mounted in a frame 83 one of whose ends rests upon the end of a lens system body tube 34. The body tube 34, intermediate its length, is provided with longitudinal slots 35. Mounted slidably within the body tube 34 is a shiftable tube section 3G. Une end of the tube section 36 has a magnification lens 37 mounted therein by bezelling into place. The opposite end of the tube section 86 has a ring 38 mounted in place, andv this ring 38 is equipped with intersecting cross wires 39 and 40 and is adjustably fitted in this tube section 86 with the aid of set screws 41.

The tube section 36 has a pair of diametrically opposite follower dogs 42 mounted upon its outer periphery. These follower dogs 42 are slidable in the slots 35 formed in the body tube 84 and these follower dogs M, 42 pe-rmitffocal adjustment of the cross wires 89 of the lens system. One of the surfaces of the follower dogs 42 is provided with helical threaded sections 43 which are engaged by an adjusting collar 44 mounted in a recess 45 formed in the region where the collar 44 is located.

Adjacent the vertical bubble units 11 and 12 means are provided for adjusting the leveling surface of the beam 10. rlhe unit a ljacent the bubbles 11 and 12 and between the end plate 46 and the bubble 11 comprises a cylinder 47 in which a threaded bore is formed. This cylinder 47 is provided with a cap shoe 48 normally located in a recess formed in the level surface 62 of the beam 10. rl`he cylinder 47 is provided with a longitudinal channel or the like which prevents rotational movement of the cylinder 47. A threaded spindle 4S) is rotatably anchored in the beam 10, and the threaded portion of said spindle 49 enters into the threaded bore of the cylinder 47, and when the thumb nut 50, forming part of the spindle cylinder 49, is rotated, the cylinder 47 and rap shoe 48 are shifted to a projecting position or are telescoped into the beam l0.

"lhe opposite end of the beam 10 may notJ use this type of construction, as the lens system passes through this end of the beam 10. )mother construction is required and comprises a shoe 51 and a pin 52 which latter is rotatably positioned on the leveling surface G2 of the beam 10. When using a three point support for the beam the shoe 51 is rotated to a position at right angles to the position shown in Figure 1 and the screws are then adjusted by rotating the level so that the one end of the beam may be raised or lowered to plumb said beam arcuately. This plumbingis obtained through vcooperation of the shoe 51 and adjusting screws 53 which form one leveling unit and member 47 and shoe 48 which latter two members form the second leveling unit. These two units are adjusted to suit the surface upon which the leveling beam is to be plumbed. rThe pin 52 permits rotation of the shoe 51 and allows a threepoint support for the beam 1() when it is to be levelled upon an inclining or uneven support base. rlhe ends of the shoe 51 are provided with adjusting screws 53 having lrnurled heads which normally may be rotated into guarded position in recesses 54.

The level thus far disclosed has its beam 10 formed of some suitable material, such as wood. In the construction of an all-metallic level, the means of mounting the vertical bubbles 11 and 12 and a different constructin for the adjustmentof these bubble units 11 and 12 must be resorted to. The bubble units 57 and 58 in an all-metallic level are mounted between the side rails 55 and 56 of the all metallic level. rJ'hese side rails 55 and 5G are provided with a series of spaced-apart lugs between which the bubble units 57 and 58 are located. Each of the bubble units 57 and 58 has a lug, such as that indicated by the numeral 59, on veither side of the member. These lugs 59 are provided with threaded ioles in which are engaged the ends of threaded set screws 60 which at one end engage the bubble units 57 and 58 and at the opposite ends enter into the threaded holes in the lugs 59 and may be adjusted through means of the spanner holes 61 formed in the set screws 60, at desirable positions. Theend of a hollow or skeleton leveling beam is shown in Figure 5. In this gure, means are shown for plumbing the bubbles upon the levelling beam at the factory. rihe construction of this bubble unit comprises a threaded stem 60, as previously stated, which engages one end of the bubble units. The opposite ends of these bubble units are securely positioned in stationary location upon a rod which is anchored in lugs similar to the lugs 57. These rods and bubbles cannot be shifted at their lower ends and when adjustment is desired, an escutcheon pin or the like is inserted into the Spanner holes 61 and in Athis manner the upper vends of the bubbleunits are shifted without disturbing the position of the opposite ends of these bubble units. As small adjustment of one of the ends of the bubble units is all that is necessary, the

'casings holding these bubble units may be readily flexed a few thousandths of an inch.

rl`he uses to which a device of this type may be put are many and quite obvious to the art. For general plumbing purposes of a horizontal plane, the intermediate level unit illustrated in Figure 4 is used in readingthe position of the beam 10. When locating a' vertical surface, the bubbles 11 or 12 are used,

accordingto the position inwhich thelevel is held. These bubble units 11 and 12 are provided with rotatable guard sleeves, such as those indicated by the numeral 14. When desiring to plumb the beam l0 upon an irreeular or inclined surface, the cylinder 47 is projected or actuated by manipulation of the thumb nut 50 surmounting the threaded spindle 49, or by adjustment of the screws 53 which are threadable in the rotatable shoe 5l. lVTanipulation of these two units 50 and will permit an accurate and minute adj ustment of the beam 10 to any desired angular position within the limits of the instrument. The lens system of the device is adapted to aid in locating a pre-determined level of the beam 10 at a distance on a target or similar other device from which a reading may be had remote from the beam l0. When desiring to plumb a horizontal surface at a position remote from the beam l0, the beam iO is first plumbed or leveled and a target is then sighted through the eye glass 30. This eye glass reflects the light rays by means of the prism 33 in a right-angled direction through the intermediate lens 37 and across the focal plane, which latter eXists at the intersection of the cross wires 39 and 40. This focal plane may be varied to suit the needs of the user of the device by rotation of the threaded ring 44 through use of which the tube section 36 is shifted longitudinally in the body tube 34 through the medium of the follower dogs 42 engaging the ring 44. The image of the target or whatever other reading means is used may be sighted through the objective lens 46, and the necessary planes for permanently locating this reading may then be made.

The bubble units 57 and 58 illustrated in Figure 5 are adapated to be constructed in the manner shown in Figure 5 when an all-metallic beam is used, and the construction and adjustment of these bubble units 57 and 58 are quite obvious to the art from the illustration. f

It is to be noted that certain changes in.

2. In a device of the class described, a beam, a prismatic lens system in said beamadapted to sight a point distant from said beam to align said point with said beam, said beam having a bore therein, an objective lens at one end of said bore, a prism at the opposite end of said bore, means for sighting through said prism and objective lens, a movable variable lens, a tube slidable in said bore carrying said objective lens, a cylinder housed in said bore housing said tube and having slots therein, follower dogs mounted on said tube having threaded surfaces thereon, and

means engaging said threaded surfaces to' shift said tube in said cylinder with respect to said prism and sai-d objective lens.

3. Tn a device of the classdescribed, a beam, a prismatic lens system in said beam adapted to sight a point distant from said beam to align said point with said beam, said beam Ahaving a bor-e therein, an objective lens at one end of said bore, a prism at the opposite end of said bore, means for sighting through said prism and objective lens, a movable variable lens, a tube slidable in said bore carrying said objective lens, a cylinder housed in said bore housing said tube and having slots therein, follower dogs mounted lon said tube having threaded surfaces thereon, a threaded ring engaging said follower dogs, said ring when rotated being adapted to shift said follower dogs and tube longitudinally in said cylinder to adjust the distance between said variablezlens and said prism and objective lens. Y

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

WALTER BRUNSTETTER.

JESSE R. BRUNSTETTER.

to align said point with said beam, said beam i having a bore therein, an objective lens at one end of said bore, a prism at the opposite end of said bore, means for sighting through said prism and objective lens, a movable variable lens, a' tube slidable in said bore carrying said objective lens, a cylinder housed in said bore housing said tube and having slots therein, and means mounted on said tube slidable in said slots for adjusting-the position of said variablelens with respect o said prism and objective lens.

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